5 Arrested in Alleged Holding of 61 Illegal Immigrants for Ransom

Five alleged smugglers were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping 61 allegedly undocumented immigrants after police and immigration officials were alerted to a South Los Angeles home, authorities said.

The immigrants, who were housed in the home’s garage, were in good condition, said Sharon Gavin, a spokeswoman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. They were mostly men ranging in ages from 17 to 45, but there were five adult women.

The five arrested were Marisol Hernandez, 26; Jesus Bautista, 24; Miguel Contreras, 36; Sergio Mendez, 23; and Jose Gomez, 25--all of Los Angeles. They are expected to be arraigned today.

The immigrants, all of whom authorities said they believe to be Mexican citizens, had been brought to the house Wednesday and were being held there until relatives or friends could post a $1,200 ransom, Gavin said.

The alleged smugglers and immigrants were being interviewed at the INS downtown jail to determine further action, Gavin said. The investigation began about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, when Los Angeles Police Department patrol officers were alerted by a resident who lives near the home, located in the 6200 block of South Hoover Street.

The resident had seen a white van unloading people and suspected immigrant smuggling, said Lt. Jim Grayson, of the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division.

Officers found one of the alleged smugglers guarding the outside of the garage and another the inside, Grayson said. One was armed, he said.

“There were a huge number of people sitting all over the floor,” Grayson said.

He said the garage’s windows had security bars and chain locks and there were no sanitary facilities inside. An electrical cord and telephone wires ran into the main house.

This case is far from unusual, Gavin said. This month, she said, INS officials have responded to aid LAPD officers in at least three similar cases.

On March 15, she said, officers responded to a call on West 81st Street where 27 immigrants were found.

Typically in such cases, smugglers will hold immigrants until friends or relatives pay a fee to have them released, Gavin said.

“I think it’s important to note that this kind of behavior by smugglers is something that not only victimizes the immigrants . . . but [also] the communities,” she said.